A Soldier's Christmas Song
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We miss you.
We miss you.
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
A Soldier's Christmas ~ Michael Marks
A Soldier's Christmas
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
my daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree, I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep
in perfect contentment, or so it would seem.
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eye when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
and I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts,
to the window that danced with a warm fire's light
then he sighed and he said "It's really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night"
"Its my duty to stand at the front of the line,
that separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red white and blue... an American flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home,
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat,
I can carry the weight of killing another
or lay down my life with my sisters and brothers
who stand at the front against any and all,
to insure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone.
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
to know you remember we fought and we bled
is payment enough, and with that we will trust.
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
-Michael Marks,
December 7, 2000
Author's Note: A Soldier's Christmas was the first in this series of patriotic writings, drafted on Pearl Harbor Day 2000 when in the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election our nation saw the right of US Armed Forces personnel openly questioned and debated. I felt it unconscionable that at the onset of the Christmas season, those serving to defend our nation would hear anything but our love and support. It is our challenge to stand for their rights at home while they stand for our lives and safety overseas. This poem went out and quickly spread around the world in emails, letters, magazines. I received letters from Marines in Bosnia, soldiers in Okinawa, from a submariner who xeroxed a copy for everyone on his sub. Moms wrote, dads, brothers and sisters. I have saved and cherish every letter and set out to continue writing throughout the year.
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
my daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree, I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep
in perfect contentment, or so it would seem.
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eye when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
and I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts,
to the window that danced with a warm fire's light
then he sighed and he said "It's really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night"
"Its my duty to stand at the front of the line,
that separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red white and blue... an American flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home,
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat,
I can carry the weight of killing another
or lay down my life with my sisters and brothers
who stand at the front against any and all,
to insure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone.
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
to know you remember we fought and we bled
is payment enough, and with that we will trust.
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
-Michael Marks,
December 7, 2000
Author's Note: A Soldier's Christmas was the first in this series of patriotic writings, drafted on Pearl Harbor Day 2000 when in the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election our nation saw the right of US Armed Forces personnel openly questioned and debated. I felt it unconscionable that at the onset of the Christmas season, those serving to defend our nation would hear anything but our love and support. It is our challenge to stand for their rights at home while they stand for our lives and safety overseas. This poem went out and quickly spread around the world in emails, letters, magazines. I received letters from Marines in Bosnia, soldiers in Okinawa, from a submariner who xeroxed a copy for everyone on his sub. Moms wrote, dads, brothers and sisters. I have saved and cherish every letter and set out to continue writing throughout the year.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Merry Christmas, My Friend
"Merry Christmas, My Friend"
By Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt
Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster & stone.
I had come down the chimney, with presents to give,
And to see just who in this home did live.
As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land.
With medals and badges, awards of all kind,
A sobering thought soon came to my mind.
For this house was different, unlike any I'd seen,
This was the home of a U.S. Marine.
I'd heard stories about them, I had to see more,
So I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home.
He seemed so gentle, his face so serene,
Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine.
Was this the hero, of whom I'd just read,
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?
His head was clean-shaven, his weathered face tan,
I soon understood, this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night,
Owed their lives to these men, who were willing to fight.
Soon around the Nation, the children would play,
And grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom, each month and all year,
Because of Marines like this one lying here.
I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone,
On a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.
Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and I started to cry.
He must have awoken, for I heard a rough voice,
"Santa, don't cry, this life is my choice.
I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,
My life is my God, my country, my Corps."
With that he rolled over, drifted off into sleep,
I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.
I watched him for hours, so silent and still,
I noticed he shivered from the cold night's chill.
So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
And covered this Marine from his toes to his head.
Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold,
With eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold.
Although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
And for one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside.
I didn't want to leave him so quiet in the night,
This guardian of honor so willing to fight.
But half asleep he rolled over, and in a voice clean and pure,
Said "Carry on, Santa, it's Christmas Day, all's secure."
One look at my watch and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas, my friend, Semper Fi and goodnight.
****************************
James M. Schmidt wrote this poem back in 1986 while a Lance Corporal stationed in Washington, D.C., serving as Battalion Counter Sniper at the Marine Barracks 8th & I under Commandant P.X. Kelly and Battalion Commander D.J. Myers [in 1986].
Schmidt hung this poem on the door of the Gym in the BEQ. When Colonel Myers came upon it, he read it and immediately had copies sent to each department at the Barracks and promptly dismissed the entire Battalion early for Christmas leave. The poem was placed that day in the Marine Corps Gazette, distributed worldwide, and later submitted to Leatherneck Magazine.
Schmidt's original version, entitled "Merry Christmas, My Friend," was published in Leatherneck (Magazine of the Marines) in December 1991, "Gyrene Gyngles," Page 79. As Leatherneck wrote of the poem's author in 2003:
"Merry Christmas, My Friend" has been a holiday favorite among 'leatherneckphiles' for nearly the time it takes to complete a Marine Corps career. Few, however, know who wrote it and when. Former Corporal James M. Schmidt, stationed at Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., pounded it out 17 years ago on a typewriter while awaiting the commanding officer's Christmas holiday decorations inspection . . . while other leathernecks strung lights for the Barracks' annual Christmas decoration contest, Schmidt contributed his poem to his section."
After leaving the Corps, Schmidt earned a law degree and now serves as an entertainment attorney in Los Angeles and is director of operations for a security consulting firm.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Twelve Days of Christmas ~ 2009
The 2009 PNC Christmas Price Index
The Cost of the Twelve Days of Christmas!
The Cost of the Twelve Days of Christmas!
One Partridge in a Pear Tree$159.99
Two Turtle Doves$55.98
Three French Hens
$45.00
Four Calling Birds$599.96
Five Gold Rings
Five Gold Rings$499.95
Six Geese A-Laying
Six Geese A-Laying$150.00
Seven Swans A-Swimming
Seven Swans A-Swimming$5,250.00
Eight Maids A-Milking
Eight Maids A-Milking$58.00
Nine Ladies Dancing
Ten Lords A-Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
$5,473.07
Ten Lords A-Leaping$4,413.61
Eleven Pipers Piping
Eleven Pipers Piping$2,284.80
Twelve Drummers Drumming
Twelve Drummers Drumming
$2,475.20
*******************
*******************
Total for 2009
$21,465.56
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Christmas for the Troops Gift Program
Christmas for the Troops Gift Program 2009
The Scott Vallely Soldiers’ Memorial Fund
Is sponsoring for the Fifth Year its
Annual Christmas Gift Program
For the Troops
Our Elves will be shopping, packing and shipping…
We need your continuous generosity and donations to support
This worthwhile effort
To support this Project…go to www.soldiersmemorialfund.org
to donate or send your donation to
SMFPO
Box 1596
Bigfork, Montana 59911
(Checks payable to Soldiers Memorial Fund – a 501 c 3 org)
Thank You!
This project is run in memory of Scott Vallely,
who was killed during Special Ops training in 2004.
Scott was the son of Major General Paul Vallely and Marian Vallely
and they oversee all activities of the fund.
ALL funds go directly to the project.
Once again this year - our adult family are getting donations to the troops for Christmas!
The Scott Vallely Soldiers’ Memorial Fund
Is sponsoring for the Fifth Year its
Annual Christmas Gift Program
For the Troops
Our Elves will be shopping, packing and shipping…
We need your continuous generosity and donations to support
This worthwhile effort
To support this Project…go to www.soldiersmemorialfund.org
to donate or send your donation to
SMFPO
Box 1596
Bigfork, Montana 59911
(Checks payable to Soldiers Memorial Fund – a 501 c 3 org)
Thank You!
This project is run in memory of Scott Vallely,
who was killed during Special Ops training in 2004.
Scott was the son of Major General Paul Vallely and Marian Vallely
and they oversee all activities of the fund.
ALL funds go directly to the project.
Once again this year - our adult family are getting donations to the troops for Christmas!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Deployed for Christmas
A dear friend is currently in Afghanistan. She wrote on Christmas Day, "It's just another day here, but everyone is running around with Santa Hats and Antlers and Christmas Trees on their heads." Of course, despite her attempt at humor, it is not just another day. The troops were out delivering supplies to orphanages, schools and hospitals. They were have runs and swims to donate to charity. They were having worship and meals together and longing for children and spouses and parents.
This year, while so many Americans had their plans for the season interrupted by the weather, I wonder how many stopped to remember those who were truly far away and in harm's way? I wonder how many realized how truly good they had it at home?
Capt. David Peyok with the 1-158th Field Artillery Battalion does not let a lack of snow dampen his spirits as he makes a "Sand Angel" in the dirt while celebrating Christmas at Camp Ramadi, Iraq.
This year, while so many Americans had their plans for the season interrupted by the weather, I wonder how many stopped to remember those who were truly far away and in harm's way? I wonder how many realized how truly good they had it at home?
Capt. David Peyok with the 1-158th Field Artillery Battalion does not let a lack of snow dampen his spirits as he makes a "Sand Angel" in the dirt while celebrating Christmas at Camp Ramadi, Iraq.
Airmen and Soldiers stand around the Joint Base Balad, Iraq, holiday tree during a tree-lighting ceremony inside Sapper Circle, Dec. 16. During the ceremony, commanders from the Air Force and Army judged large plywood holiday greeting cards, with the theme 'Sounds of the Season,' that various units across Balad had built. The winner of the competition will be announced on Christmas Day.
Soldiers of the 20th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division pose in front of the battalions motor pool Christmas tree, built from scrap metal and cement blocks, after a tree-lighting ceremony at Forward Operating Base Patriot in eastern Baghdad Dec. 8. Leaders from the 20th Engineers delivered unscripted speeches to the troops present and a dedicational prayer for the tree was given emphasizing the brotherhood of Soldiers during the holidays, serving so far from home. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jan Critchfield, 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)
Airmen and Soldiers from Sather Air Base in Baghdad come together for a Christmas Eve candlelight service at the Lighthouse Chapel. The service included fellowship, scripture reading, Christmas hymns and prayer for peace and prosperity in Iraq.
Chaplain Maj. Eddie Jones lights the center candle of an Advent Wreath during a Christmas Eve worship and candlelight service at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Dec. 24. Jones is deployed from Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
Capt. Andrew Cohen stands behind a lit menorah during the eighth day of Hanukkah at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of the victory over Greek oppression, the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. Cohen, a rabbi with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Chapel, is deployed from Andrews Air Force Base, Md.Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Christmas Tradition for Soldier in Afghanistan
Army Col. Roger Nell, command judge advocate with Task Force Warrior, stands in his office at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, beside an artificial Christmas tree that has served alongside father or son on three wartime missions and six Christmas deployments. U.S. Army photoDeployed Soldier Shares Holiday Heirloom in Afghanistan
By Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens
Special to American Forces Press Service
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Dec. 10, 2008 - A deployed soldier here is getting a taste of home for the holidays, just as his father did 40 years earlier.
The small, artificial Christmas tree on Army Col. Roger Nell's desk is the same one his father displayed on his desk in 1967. Since then, the tree has served alongside father or son on three wartime missions and six Christmas deployments.
"My wife has sent me the tree this year, as is tradition," Nell, command judge advocate with Task Force Warrior, said.
Nell's mother, Ramona, bought the tree in 1967 at the Panama Canal Zone post exchange for her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Robert Nell, who was serving in the Vietnam War. In early November, Ramona sent the tree, decorated with hard candies, to her husband at the public information office in Saigon, where the sergeant handled the credentialing of news media.
"Our little tree has been a source of joy for our family and a way to be together when [we're] so many miles apart," Robert Nell said.
In 1969, Ramona sent the tree on its second deployment to a hostile zone; her husband was assigned to the Military Assistance Advisory Group Thailand in Bangkok. Robert Nell worked in the protocol office, coordinating visits with elected officials, including then-President Richard M. Nixon.
"At the time, I never knew how many lives would be touched by the joy this little tree radiated over the next few decades," Robert said.
The tree stayed stateside until 1992, when Ramona sent it to her son, who was deployed to South Camp, Sinai, Egypt. The next year, Nell's mother again sent her son the tree, this time to Camp Howze, South Korea, while he served with the U.S. Army Trial Defense Service and the 2nd Infantry Division.
The tree deployed for its second wartime mission in 2003. Nell's wife, Rhonda, sent the tree to Qayarah Airfield, Iraq, where Nell was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
This year marks the third wartime deployment for the tree. A pair of scissors sits beneath the tree in Nell's office. He welcomes all visitors to his office to cut off a piece of the tree as a holiday souvenir and a symbol of a shared experience with the Nell family.
"My prayer for the tree is for it to be allowed permanent retirement after this Christmas mission so that neither of my children will receive this tree in a foreign land from their mother," Nell said.
(Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens serves in the Task Force Warrior public affairs office.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sign the Christmas Card for our Wounded Troops
Don't let Christmas feel like just another day for our brave heroes
who have already sacrificed so much.
Add your name to the VFW Christmas card to wounded troops
at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington.
A VFW volunteer will be delivering the Christmas card in person.
Add your name by midnight December 5th to send a message of support and cheer.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Wednesday Hero ~ SGT Eric Crayton
From Sparta, Georgia
Sgt. Eric Crayton, the first sergeant for the Extension Detachment, Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, serving Christmas dinner to Soldiers at the Pegasus Dining Facility at Camp Liberty, Iraq.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives
so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday.
For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Our Troops Celebrate Christmas~~~
Some of our favorite Christmas pictures from our troops.
Our troops are in our thoughts and prayers
on Christmas, and always.
Monday, December 24, 2007
The Twelve Days of Christmas.......
The 2007 PNC Christmas Price Index
One Partridge in a Pear Tree$164.99
Two Turtle Doves$40.00
Three French Hens
$45.00
Four Calling Birds$599.96
Five Gold Rings
Five Gold Rings$395.00
Six Geese A-Laying
Six Geese A-Laying$360.00
Seven Swans A-Swimming
Seven Swans A-Swimming$4,200.00
Eight Maids A-Milking
Eight Maids A-Milking$46.80
Nine Ladies DancingTen Lords A-Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
$4,759.19
Ten Lords A-Leaping$4,285.06
Eleven Pipers Piping
Eleven Pipers Piping$2,213.40
Twelve Drummers Drumming
Twelve Drummers Drumming
$2,397.85
*******************
*******************
Total for 2007
$19,507.25
Sunday, December 23, 2007
A Soldier's Christmas
A Soldier's Christmas
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
my daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree, I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep
in perfect contentment, or so it would seem.
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eye when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
and I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts,
to the window that danced with a warm fire's light
then he sighed and he said "It's really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night"
"Its my duty to stand at the front of the line,
that separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red white and blue... an American flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home,
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat,
I can carry the weight of killing another
or lay down my life with my sisters and brothers
who stand at the front against any and all,
to insure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone.
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
to know you remember we fought and we bled
is payment enough, and with that we will trust.
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
-Michael Marks,
December 7, 2000
Author's Note: A Soldier's Christmas was the first in this series of patriotic writings, drafted on Pearl Harbor Day 2000 when in the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election our nation saw the right of US Armed Forces personnel openly questioned and debated. I felt it unconscionable that at the onset of the Christmas season, those serving to defend our nation would hear anything but our love and support. It is our challenge to stand for their rights at home while they stand for our lives and safety overseas. This poem went out and quickly spread around the world in emails, letters, magazines. I received letters from Marines in Bosnia, soldiers in Okinawa, from a submariner who xeroxed a copy for everyone on his sub. Moms wrote, dads, brothers and sisters. I have saved and cherish every letter and set out to continue writing throughout the year.
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
my daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree, I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep
in perfect contentment, or so it would seem.
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eye when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
and I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts,
to the window that danced with a warm fire's light
then he sighed and he said "It's really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night"
"Its my duty to stand at the front of the line,
that separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red white and blue... an American flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home,
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat,
I can carry the weight of killing another
or lay down my life with my sisters and brothers
who stand at the front against any and all,
to insure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone.
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
to know you remember we fought and we bled
is payment enough, and with that we will trust.
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
-Michael Marks,
December 7, 2000
Author's Note: A Soldier's Christmas was the first in this series of patriotic writings, drafted on Pearl Harbor Day 2000 when in the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election our nation saw the right of US Armed Forces personnel openly questioned and debated. I felt it unconscionable that at the onset of the Christmas season, those serving to defend our nation would hear anything but our love and support. It is our challenge to stand for their rights at home while they stand for our lives and safety overseas. This poem went out and quickly spread around the world in emails, letters, magazines. I received letters from Marines in Bosnia, soldiers in Okinawa, from a submariner who xeroxed a copy for everyone on his sub. Moms wrote, dads, brothers and sisters. I have saved and cherish every letter and set out to continue writing throughout the year.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Merry Christmas, My Friend
"Merry Christmas, My Friend"
By Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt
Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster & stone.
I had come down the chimney, with presents to give,
And to see just who in this home did live.
As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land.
With medals and badges, awards of all kind,
A sobering thought soon came to my mind.
For this house was different, unlike any I'd seen,
This was the home of a U.S. Marine.
I'd heard stories about them, I had to see more,
So I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home.
He seemed so gentle, his face so serene,
Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine.
Was this the hero, of whom I'd just read,
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?
His head was clean-shaven, his weathered face tan,
I soon understood, this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night,
Owed their lives to these men, who were willing to fight.
Soon around the Nation, the children would play,
And grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom, each month and all year,
Because of Marines like this one lying here.
I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone,
On a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.
Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and I started to cry.
He must have awoken, for I heard a rough voice,
"Santa, don't cry, this life is my choice.
I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,
My life is my God, my country, my Corps."
With that he rolled over, drifted off into sleep,
I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.
I watched him for hours, so silent and still,
I noticed he shivered from the cold night's chill.
So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
And covered this Marine from his toes to his head.
Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold,
With eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold.
Although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
And for one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside.
I didn't want to leave him so quiet in the night,
This guardian of honor so willing to fight.
But half asleep he rolled over, and in a voice clean and pure,
Said "Carry on, Santa, it's Christmas Day, all's secure."
One look at my watch and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas, my friend, Semper Fi and goodnight.
****************************
James M. Schmidt wrote this poem back in 1986 while a Lance Corporal stationed in Washington, D.C., serving as Battalion Counter Sniper at the Marine Barracks 8th & I under Commandant P.X. Kelly and Battalion Commander D.J. Myers [in 1986].
Schmidt hung this poem on the door of the Gym in the BEQ. When Colonel Myers came upon it, he read it and immediately had copies sent to each department at the Barracks and promptly dismissed the entire Battalion early for Christmas leave. The poem was placed that day in the Marine Corps Gazette, distributed worldwide, and later submitted to Leatherneck Magazine.
Schmidt's original version, entitled "Merry Christmas, My Friend," was published in Leatherneck (Magazine of the Marines) in December 1991, "Gyrene Gyngles," Page 79. As Leatherneck wrote of the poem's author in 2003:
"Merry Christmas, My Friend" has been a holiday favorite among 'leatherneckphiles' for nearly the time it takes to complete a Marine Corps career. Few, however, know who wrote it and when. Former Corporal James M. Schmidt, stationed at Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., pounded it out 17 years ago on a typewriter while awaiting the commanding officer's Christmas holiday decorations inspection . . . while other leathernecks strung lights for the Barracks' annual Christmas decoration contest, Schmidt contributed his poem to his section."
After leaving the Corps, Schmidt earned a law degree and now serves as an entertainment attorney in Los Angeles and is director of operations for a security consulting firm.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Soldiers Bring Christmas to Assyrian Children in Iraq
A 5-year-old Iraqi girl gives a thumbs-up at the Assyrian Christian christmas party attended by the 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division and coalition forces, Dec. 15, in Kirkuk, Iraq. Soldiers with the 2414 Logistical Transition Team who are training the 2-4 IA logistics at the Iraqi army base, K-1, brought presents donated by employers, friends and family of Pennsylvania national guardsmen, members of the LTT team.
An Iraqi soldier with the 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division enjoys the holiday festivities with a child dressed up as Father Christmas during a party held at the Assyrian Christian School in Kirkuk, Iraq
Children from the Assyrian Christian School in Kirkuk, Iraq, sing Christmas carols in several different languages including an English rendition of "Jingle Bells" to the audience which included Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers with the 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, and the 2414 Logistical Transition Team
U.S. Soldiers with the 2414 Logistical Transition Team dance with Iraqi children during a Christmas party at the Assyrian Christian School in Kirkuk, Iraq, Dec. 15. The 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division invited the soldiers to help distribute Christmas presents and supplies to the children. Iraqi media were on-hand to capture the event.
Pennsylvania National Guard soldier Lt. Col. Greg Markert, 2414 Logistical Transition Team leader, hands a Christmas present to a student of the Assyrian Christian School of Kirkuk, Iraq, Dec. 15. The U.S. Soldiers were invited by their Iraqi counterparts with the Iraqi Army's 2nd Brigade, 4th Division to attend the event held Dec. 15. The presents were provided by employers, friends, and family of two Pennsylvania National Guardsmen, members of the 2414 LTT, who are attached to the Pennsylvania National Guard�s Headquarters Company, 213th Area Support Group, Allentown, Pa. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson, 115th MPAD)
A student of the Assyrian Christian School of Kirkuk, Iraq, opens her present donated by employers, friends and family of two Pennsylvania National Guard members during a Christmas party, Dec. 15. The U.S. Soldiers were invited by their Iraqi counterparts in the Iraqi Army's 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, who provide supplies and gifts to schools throughout the Kirkuk province.By Army Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
KIRKUK, Iraq – The 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division invited coalition forces to a Christmas party, at an Assyrian Christian School in Kirkuk, Iraq, Dec. 15.
Representing approximately 2 percent of the population here, according to military officials, the underlining theme of this year’s celebration was ethnic and religious diversity. “Kirkuk is a good place to be for Christians…a place where all ethnic groups, Arab, Kurd, Turkman, and Christian, are living in peace,” said the priest of the Christian school. He also ministers to 2-4 IA Soldiers who operate from the Iraqi Army Base K-1 in Kirkuk.
The soldiers, both IA, and CF with the 2414 Logistics Transition Team at K-1, came armed with presents which they passed out to the children who were clothed in various ethnic dress to represent the cultures that are striving to bring back some semblance of normality to this ethnic diverse area of northeastern Iraq. “We want to live and work with our neighbors in harmony…as Iraqis,” Maj. Zyad Junaid Omar, 2-4 IA Civil Affairs Officer said. Zyad, whose father is Arab and mother Turkman, said that he invites CF soldiers along to show Iraqis that, “Americans are good people that want to help.” He also wanted the Iraqi public to see how well the IA and CF work together.
“Maj. Zyad is a patriot in the true sense,” Lt. Col. Greg Markert, 2414 LTT said. “He wants to make a difference. He is not concerned about the ethnic background of these children. He’s concerned about Iraq’s future…which they represent,” Markert said.
The gifts that the soldiers handed out were contributed by employers, friends, and family of Pennsylvania Guardsmen Sgt. 1st Class Ken “Gunny” Ganiszewski, 2414 LTT, and Markert, both of Philadelphia. “What started out as a suggestion, snowballed into 200 packages full of toys, candy, blankets…the response has been tremendous,” said the former Marine.
This was just one of the several on-going civil affairs programs run by the 2-4 IA’s CA team. “We’re honored to be a part of their program,” said Markert. “These children are the future of Iraq, they are the most important equation in our mission here.”
“I fought as a marine in the Gulf War against some of these soldiers that I am now mentoring,” Gunny said. “This brotherhood we’ve formed is making a positive impact on the children of Iraq…its future.” He said that both soldiers agree that what they are doing has a larger impact than “kicking doors down and brandishing weapons.” He underlined the importance of getting involved by saying, “that child that is gifted a pair of shoes may return home and convince a relative not to place an IED out on the road. Or if he sees someone trying to hurt an IA or CF Soldier, he’ll report it.”
The LTT team has 10 members. They hail from the 240th Quartermaster’s Company, 16th Sustainment Brigade from Bamburg, Germany; 13th Combat Service Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Ft. Benning, Ga.; and the National Guard’s Headquarters Company, 213th Area Support Group, Allentown, Pa. All of the U.S. Soldiers are attached to the 213th, currently headquartered at Logistical Support Activity, Anaconda, Iraq.
“We’ve come from all over the U.S. and Germany to form this team. We’ve since become a cohesive family, together with our adoptive family, meaning our fellow Soldiers with the Iraqi Army’s 2nd Brigade, 4th Division.” Markert said.
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